Chapter 15 Interesting Ride
INTERESTING RIDE
“Do you have any grill marks on you?” Arik asked twenty minutes later.
He’d been surprised when his bedroom door opened, and Natalie was standing there smiling.
“I don’t know,” she said and did a twirl for him. “Do you see any? These sleeves catch on fire quickly.”
“You look just as perfect as you did earlier. Not even flushed cheeks or anything. My grandmother can be harsh.”
“She wasn’t light on me,” she said.
“And she wouldn’t let you give practiced answers either.”
His grandmother would have seen right through someone who flawlessly crafted all their replies.
His grandfather had been an attorney, just like his father. Sophie Crest was used to bullshitters.
“She didn’t. I think it went well. No worries that she is seeing through things with us.”
He wasn’t so sure of that but didn’t need to confess it.
“Then it worked out. We’ve got about an hour before other guests arrive. I can hear the bride and her party giggling down the hall.”
They were in a guest room getting their hair and makeup done. Or had been when he came up here. He appreciated his grandmother putting them the furthest away from his room.
Not that he had anything in here but some clothing.
While he sat here and looked around, he realized that for his wealth, he had a sad existence.
He truly lived his life on the road, discarding things he didn’t feel he needed, or not buying many possessions that others used as signs of their success.
He’d never cared what people thought of him.
Never thought he needed status symbols.
Living as he had, many women he came across didn’t know the extent of his wealth unless they looked into him. And when someone did, he ended things quickly.
But with Natalie, he’d freely told her what was going on in his life.
He opened his chest and let her see the wounds.
Maybe he joked about it, but they were there.
“What about the groom and his men?”
“They are arriving soon. My aunt and uncle don’t live that far from here and I think he’s getting ready there.”
“Do Nick and Courtney live close by?”
“Downtown,” he said. “At least that is what I heard. He works in finance and she’s a teacher.”
“That’s nice. You said she’s young.”
“Right out of college. I’m pretty sure she’s going to have an issue with my father’s date, but not my problem.”
“Why?”
“Because everything my father does makes a statement. The women he is with are no different. Buckle up, buttercup. It’s going to be an interesting ride.”
Her eyes moved over him sitting in the chair. His jacket was off and laid on the bed, his brown leather shoe on the knee of his blue pants. His shirt was silver. No tie and he wasn’t putting one on.
Not even his grandmother could make him and he’d told her that when he’d left with his suit earlier.
“I like wild rides,” she said. “Even if people don’t think that of me.”
He smirked at the flush that climbed up her neck and settled on her cheeks.
He put his foot down and lifted his hands for her to come closer.
She held her ground.
“I’m not going to bite, even though you didn’t say I couldn’t in that contract of yours.”
She laughed. A nervous sound, but moved toward him.
His hands settled on her waist. She lifted an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
“Touching you where you said I could.”
“We aren’t dancing.”
He stood and pulled her close to his body. “Can’t you hear the music?”
“No.”
She didn’t move out of his arms, but didn’t put her hands around his neck either.
“It’s playing in my head. A slow song telling me I need to bring you close so that I can thank you again for being here with me.”
“You’re welcome,” she whispered. “But I think you’re making more of it than it is. Your grandmother wasn’t nearly as bad as you said she’d be.”
“Because you know how to handle people. A lesser person would have gone crying from the room.” Natalie stiffened in his arms. “Did she bring up something like that to you?”
“In not so many words. Has it happened before?”
“Not with me,” he said. “She’s made my mother cry before. That’s difficult to do, but it was prior to the divorce. My father, he’s brought some silly women home. They crack easily.”
“I’m not silly nor do I crack under pressure.”
“You’re real,” he said, his mouth close to her ear. He was pushing fate and didn’t give one fuck.
“Few see that.”
“But I do,” he said.
The door opened to his room. Natalie went to step back, but he held her in place. No one would think it was odd that he was holding his girlfriend. It’s not as if they were naked, no matter how much he’d like to be.
“Sorry,” his grandmother said. “But your father just showed up and is asking to see you.”
Natalie turned in his arms, his hand sliding around her waist. “He’s never this early for anything. Should I guess the reason?”
“I don’t want to know,” his grandmother said. “I can tell him you’re not here yet.”
“Oh. I thought he knew.”
“Not yet. But I wanted to give you a warning. And that Brandi is going to cause some stir.”
“Is she wearing a bikini?”
“Her dress is just as obvious... and white.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? What woman wears a white dress to a wedding that isn’t the bride?”
“Someone your father is with. Let the fireworks begin.”
His grandmother closed the door after that.
“I thought maybe you were exaggerating things with your father,” she said.
“No. I can’t make this shit up. Even my mother, who loves to be the center of attention, wouldn’t dream of wearing white to another woman’s wedding.”
It might cross his mother’s mind, but she’d back down from it. Unless it was Erin’s ex remarrying. He could see his father making a dick move and inviting his mother to it.
He shook his head. It would never happen. His father swore never to marry again and he believed it.
“It’s rude,” she said.
“If my father is starting out this way, it’s only going to get worse.”
“Do you want to go down and find out? Maybe we can cut it off before it escalates.”
He laughed and tugged her closer to his side, then leaned down to give her another peck on the lips. There was no limit, he made sure of it.
He’d get in as many as he wanted and it didn’t seem as if she was opposed.
“Oh, Natalie. This isn’t your job. My father will do what he wants. If we try to stop it, it will not only escalate, but suck us into the vortex with it. The best we can hope for is Nick’s wedding isn’t ruined.”
If Nick had his wedding in a restaurant or anywhere other than this small group witnessing his father acting like an ass, it might not have come to this.
But Eric Crest would feel more powerful on his home turf.
“Then are we hiding up here until it’s time?”
He narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think you’re baiting me.”
“No. Just asking a question. We are in a room with a door shut that only your grandmother is aware is occupied. That’s close to the definition of hiding.”
He tapped her on the nose. “Now you’re being cute. I like it.”
“You say you like every side of me.”
“I do. Do you know how many women would be thrilled with that arrangement?”
She dropped her head against his chest, then popped it back up. “I’m not every woman.”
“You might have been with that little move.”
“Just testing it out. It came naturally. I think we are good for our show.”
He sighed. He didn’t want to put on a show.
He wanted it to be the real thing.
That would take time.
Good thing he had a lot of it.
His bedroom door opened again and this time his father slipped in with a giggling woman, then had her back against the wall, his mouth on hers. The white silk dress that he’d gotten a brief glimpse of looked more like bedroom wear.
“Eric, hurry. We don’t want anyone to know we are here.”
“Too late,” Arik said drily.
His father spun around. Natalie stiffened in his arms. Yeah, she was right. It was disgusting.
Brandi was a bimbo.
Everything on her was fake from her blonde extensions, red pointy nails, and tits he’d bet his father paid for.
“Arik,” his father said. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“Clearly,” he said.
“This is Brandi.” His father walked forward. “And who are you?”
“Natalie Bond, meet Eric Crest. Eric with an E.”
She laughed. “Got it. It’s nice to meet you both.”
“I hadn’t realized you were dating anyone,” his father said. “Or bringing her to the wedding. Why don’t you and Brandi go down and find our seats?”
“I don’t need you to dismiss my girlfriend,” he said.
Natalie looked at him, questioning what she should do. “Arik?” she asked.
Maybe he didn’t want her to witness this so early.
“We’ll be down in a few minutes. Sorry.”
“It’s no problem,” she said, moving over and kissing him on the cheek, then rubbing his fingers for comfort.
A classy move.
A loving gesture.
Nothing his father would recognize or could appreciate.
“What is it you wanted to talk to me about?”
“She’s hot,” his father said. “Maybe Brandi and she would bond.”
“Not likely. The clock is ticking.” He held his watch up. “Five minutes and I’m out of here.”
“That’s what I told Brandi when we snuck in here and you interrupted us. Hopefully she doesn’t cool off and I’ll find another spot.”
What the fuck!
“I didn’t interrupt you, you came into my room. Second, keep the bedroom talk between the two of you. You’re down to almost four minutes now.”
“Loosen up,” his father said. “Age happens fast so enjoy it while you can.”
“If all you wanted was small talk, we could have done it downstairs.”
“Listen, I’m a little light.”
Seriously? His father was going to hit him up for money? This was a new one.
He wanted him to come out and be specific.
“You look the same to me.”
Even down to the Audemars Piguet watch.
“Yeah, well, life costs and I had to pay out so much to your mother.”
“Decades ago,” he said. “It’s more about your lifestyle to get women like Brandi. I heard you just returned from Monte Carlo.”
“I did. Lost more than I won.”
“Ahh, got it. You shouldn’t bet what you can’t afford. We are down to two minutes.”
“I need some cash to hold me over until my next settlement. I’m going to struggle with payroll. You don’t want me to not pay my staff, do you?”
“That’s what a line of credit is for.”
His father waved a manicured hand. “Going through the bank raises a lot more questions. This is faster. It’s only for a short time. Just a quarter million. That’s easy money for you. I’ve got a few settlements coming in that will be ten times that amount. You’ll get it back. With interest.”
“Sorry,” he said. “You made your bed. Lie in it. Just don’t lie in mine.”
He walked past his father’s red face and went in search of his pretend girlfriend and hoped to hell she could do what he brought her here for.